Crushproof Tubing stays flexible during tough times

McCOMB, Ohio—Flexibility in both form and function has been the focus of the Crushproof Tubing Co. since its inception in 1949.

With two new lines, Flex Flow hoses and its Simple Drain series, the ability to adapt to both market niches and unforeseen industry volatility continues for the Northwest Ohio-based company that first specialized in garage exhaust hoses for the automotive aftermarket.

"We are extremely diverse," said Todd Grayson, director of product development at Crushproof. "We dabble in every major industry on the planet. Auto has been soft, as dealerships are not putting in exhaust systems, and that part is getting killed. But we do breathing safety hoses for medical devices, and that part is booming."

Crushproof, deemed an essential business during the coronavirus pandemic, finds itself in the black overall, a trend that the company expects to continue with the early April release of its Flex Flow line of EPDM hoses for the commercial laundry industry.

Using a two-stage process that begins with a rubber extrusion profile, Flex Flow hoses are placed in an autoclave, "a giant, humid oven" that uses heat and steam pressure to form the hoses, Grayson said.

The use of the relatively inexpensive EPDM, rather than solvent-welded polyvinyl chloride, gives durability to the Flex Flow line and a performance that is unaffected by UV light, ozone, detergents, bleaches or high temperatures, Grayson said.

"We use exclusively EPDM, and these hoses focus on laundry drainage equipment, an industry that encounters all kinds of cleaning chemicals in general," Grayson said. "You never know what people will throw in there. EPDM allows for cost-effectiveness, chemical resistance, heat resistance through a wide range of temperatures and temperature cycles, as well as dry rot resistance."

In addition, Crushproof said its Flex Flow line boasts easier and more efficient installation than PVC, with up to a 20:1 installation rate in improved assembly time. Without as many seams and connections as PVC, Flex Flow hoses can reduce leak points, and they tend not to break when large laundry machines vibrate and move about during their cycles.

"They allow for movement and flexibility during all this, meaning less downtime and fewer maintenance repairs," Grayson said. "Through servicing the machines, maintenance workers can easily disconnect and reconnect the Flex Flow hoses. And, depending on adaptability and sizes used, one can reuse the setup. With PVC, you have to disassemble it and redo the entire fixture."

Because the target market for the Flex Flow line is the laundry community in hotels, hospitality facilities, nursing homes and assisted living places, the hookups are broadly standardized, Grayson noted.

The hoses fit 2- to 4-inch PVC fittings and machines, typical sizes for the laundry industry. And they work well in tight, confined spaces, with the ability to wrap around poles, make tight turns and conform to odd angles.

"With our seamless construction method, there is nothing to separate, de-laminate, loosen or unglue, and that means fewer failure points over time," Grayson said. "There are no leak points in the hose and each end provides a clamped rubber seal that's easy to remove, adjust or inspect if necessary.

"Our system is a drastic improvement over the traditional solvent-welded PVC pipe method."

Beyond the commercial laundry industry, the Flex Flow line is used in industrial parts washing, using a hot water and chemical bath, according to Grayson.

"Really anywhere in industrial cleaning where you have a large tank that requires draining, Flex Flow hoses can be used," Grayson said.

Crushproof maintains a standing assortment of hose sizes at all times, but prides itself on catering to specific customer needs. This allows for both smaller and larger runs of the product.

"We keep our prices low because of the standard of assortment," Grayson said. "They come in different sizes, but the flex in terms of length allows for the best of both worlds."

With fewer associated couplings and parts, using Flex Flow hoses can reduce a customer's warehouse and truck inventory.

"We highly recommend this product to anyone working in the commercial laundry industry," Grayson said. "You can save materials, labor, time and money."

He added that customer response for the new line "has been outstanding."

"Awareness is the key," Grayson said. "People who have seen them and used them have bought more. But awareness is it, making sure people know the hose line exists."

Simple Drain for a complex time
In addition to its Flex Flow line, Crushproof Tubing offers its Simple Drain line, a plumbing and drainage system engineered with an antimicrobial additive, Micropel, placed into the mixture when the EPDM is compounded.

"Simple Drain uses antimicrobial rubber, which can be disinfected in ways that a standard pipe cannot be," Grayson said. "When we look to infectious disease, especially in the time of the coronavirus pandemic, it is important to properly clean a drain where it is less likely to get bio-film development."

Simple Drain maintains a broad customer base, much more so than the laundry-related Flex Flow line, according to Crushproof. Simple Drain can be used in conjunction with any single-basin sinks in houses, industrial settings and hotels, Grayson said.

Because of its antimicrobial nature and ability to be cleaned with a bleach and water solution, the Simple Drain series can ward off deadly diseases such as the coronavirus or Legionnaires' disease, sicknesses that can spread through HVAC and ventilation units.

"Warm, moist environments can move COVID-19 or anything else," Grayson said. "Simple Drain prevents back flow between the trap and drain, and can prevent this. The CDC recommends a 10-minute soak with a bleach and water mixture, which kills everything in the drain. This improves health potential, especially in a clinical setting. This additional step makes a difference."

Between this line and its products for the breathing, ventilation and the general medical segment, Crushproof and its 32 employees remain "fully operational" at the 40,000-sq.-ft. facility in McComb, near Findlay, Ohio.

The company also produces bellows and protective boots for mobile hospital beds, part of the system of movement for the bed itself. These products also are seeing an upswing during the pandemic.

"It's an ugly sheet, really, as it's all over the map," Grayson said of the volatility in certain markets and the boom in others. "We are finding that agriculture is coming back, which has been soft but is coming back. Overall, we are slightly up as far as all markets are considered.

"But we are fully operational, and we are hiring. We are just doing our best to get products out the door."

Crushproof finds itself at the heart of the hose supply chain during the pandemic.

"Anything where we find we can help other essential companies, businesses who are considered critical suppliers who are down the supply chain, this makes our products essential," Grayson said.

"I want to offer a shout-out in this regard: We firmly believe all manufacturing is essential. You can't have a supply chain without the welding outfit, the nuts and bolts supplier, or the suppliers of polymers and raw materials. We are all important. Manufacturing across the board truly does affect everyone, and we need to get back to it.

"We want everyone in rubber and plastics businesses to earn a living and keep business thriving. This makes our economy and way of life possible. It is our sincere wish from Crushproof that everyone can continue to thrive."